09:04 – Thirteen days left until the election. Even if you don’t really expect anything catastrophically bad to happen–I don’t–it’s only prudent to be prepared for violent civil unrest, even if it’s only localized. It may be your local area that’s affected. Particularly if you’re in an urban environment, stay away from crowds. If I worked in a large city, I’d go as far as taking a vacation day and staying home from work that day. Just ask some of the people from Charlotte, who didn’t realize that they were driving into a life-threatening situation. And be aware that the worst danger of civil unrest won’t necessarily be on Election Day itself. It may be on the following day or the following several days.
If you’re not at all prepared, there’s still time. Make a Costco/Sam’s/Walmart/supermarket run. Pick up several cases of bottled water, at least one or two cases for each family member. Pick up enough shelf-stable canned and dry foods to last you at least a week. Two weeks would be better. Buy foods that require little or no preparation. If you don’t already have them, pick up some LED flashlights/headlamps/lanterns, batteries for them, and a battery-powered radio. Buy a Coleman dual-fuel camp stove and a couple of gallons of Coleman fuel for it. Make sure your cell phone is charged, and charge the extra battery for it, if you have one. Refill any prescription medications that you’re down to less than a month’s supply of. If you don’t own a firearm, buy one now, along with at least 100 rounds of ammunition for it. A short-barrel pump-action shotgun is a good choice for most people, but even a .22 rimfire rifle is a whole lot better than nothing. Fill the gas tank(s) of your vehicle(s). If you have a propane grill, make sure the tank is full or nearly so. Buy an extra tank. Keep as much cash on hand as you can afford, mostly in small bills with at least several dollars in change. If you live in a densely-populated area, be prepared to get out of town if necessary. Keep your food and other emergency supplies in or near your vehicle, and make arrangements with family or friends in a more lightly-populated area to visit them if things go downhill in your area. Tune your radio to a local station, and keep an ear on it. And if violence breaks out in your area, be prepared to evacuate on a moment’s notice. Don’t wait around to see if things get better. They may, but they may also get a whole lot worse, stranding you and your family in a dangerous situation.
More work today on science kit stuff and repackaging the remaining bulk staples we have sitting in bags.
I have nothing to add to RBT’s recommendations for the coming “election” period. Other than that some of us here will also be prepping for winter anyway and so most of his suggestions are included in those preps.
I daresay his AO and mine won’t see much in the way of mayhem or chaos. Knock on wood.
Pahtly sunny today; got a couple of errands to run and then back here to work on tax issues, cleanup and organization, and continue with whatever I can manage outside.
Our new VT immigrant has made the switch:
https://twitter.com/RandyRRQuaid/status/791051181133037574
It appears that a small coterie of Hollyweird types have bad feelz about the Bernie “campaign” and are so disgusted they’re gonna go with Trump. The main Hollyweird cohort, however, are reliable dupes for Cankles, of course.
And Mrs. OFD has evidently stopped reading the anti-Cankles email links I’ve been sending her for the past ten days, lol. And they were pretty moderate and reasonable, too, nothing like the hateful, bigoted, vicious stuff we say here.
I had the thought to give a ‘preparedness package’ gift to family members for this winter solstice’s gift exchange; or perhaps as an election day gift. My rough idea was something that could fit in a sealed five-gallon bucket and contain up to four person-weeks of food and the means to cook/heat it, and some basic sanitation supplies.
I am particularly wondering about compact, long lasting, inexpensive cooking options.
I read someplace here that LISTS are really a big draw. Any suggestions on suitable items?
I might include a flashlight.
@Terry, first, you’re going to need a bigger bucket 😉
Such kits are available from Emergency Essentials, and others. They typically include an X-person/Y-day supply of food, a water purifier, and a small emergency stove. Walmart has them on its website, where they’re significantly less expensive than they are direct from the vendor.
The problem with these kits is that they’re built cheaply. All starchy foods and very few calories, shoddy gear, etc. You’d be much better off assembling your own kits from stuff you can get at Costco/Sams (food items, particularly), Walmart, Amazon, and so on. You can use a plastic pail from Home Depot to store/organize it all.
Fun nooz for this fine fall day!
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2016/10/dean-weingarten/anti-gun-rights-pa-ag-kathleen-kane-sentenced-to-jail/
hahahahah!
(although I don’t believe in throwing non-violent offenders in jail or prison. tres stupid)
“Of course, you could say all politicians are inherently suspect. Which is why the Founding Fathers protected our gun rights in the first place.”
Yeah, you COULD say that….
I am sure that you can think of someone (or some-lots) who would “enjoy” this “gift”:
http://skillet.lifehacker.com/get-the-last-word-by-sending-your-enemies-an-actual-bag-1788254527
I don’t expect unrest in Vegas. If there is, it will be because tourists stop coming. Then the Vegas economy will rapidly collapse. It takes a lot of people to staff all the hotels and casinos. They are mostly minority with little skills. When food becomes scarce or people are out of jobs, rioting, looting and worse will take place. I have 30 days of food and water for 5 stored. The food is dehydrated and fewer calories than I want, but will keeep us going in place for a month if needed. It will all fit in my truck and we could bug out. My Mom is an issue. What to do. Currently in the hospital, dependent on a lot of meds and care. Do I stay? Do I go? Send the family off to Kansas? A hard call to make.
The only prep advice I’ll add is prepare mentally and physically. Remember, “the fatties were the first to go.”
It’s easier and cheaper just to mail them a bag of dogshit with no return address. Appropriate message: “Eat Shit and Die”.
The cowards never started, and the weaklings died along the way.
@Terry,
Great idea, but tough.
You aren’t gonna get all that in one bucket. An alternative might be a bucket for food and one for other stuff, with the bucket turning into a toilet….
Even getting 4 x5 days of freeze dried meals into a bucket would be tough.
Hmm, just thinking out loud…
Small backpacking style stove, and fuel cans (sealed and pressurized for storage and handling convenience.) couple nested pots (again probably backpack style, but cheap pots with the handles removed might be doable.) Small water filter. Collapsible water bottles. 4 sets of cheap metal utensils. One 6 inch chef knife, or Moraknife. Couple LED flashlights. One good multitool. Fire making- several bic lighters, one box wooden matches. 3 big rolls toilet paper, 5 trash bags. small am/fm radio and extra batteries. Mini can opener!
You could go basic on food, 3-5 pound bag of rice, package of oatmeal, 5 cans beef, 5 cans chicken, salt and pepper set, half pound sugar, instant coolaid mix, instant coffee.
One bag baby wipes. 1/2 pound hard candy or chewing gum. Bag of freeze dried or dried fruit pieces.
Rice should be “minute rice” to conserve fuel.
Pots nest into bucket, stove, fuel, filter and any other kitchen or food stuff goes into pots.
You can go smaller, but it requires more special knowledge on the users part.
Forex- penny stoves, and a bottle of Heet ™, lifestraw, heat the canned food in the cans. Use canned rice, potatoes, veg or soup and then you don’t need water for rehydrating.
One thing is certain, the prepackaged ‘bucket’ type survival food is way optimistic wrt servings….
nick
Put a dozen heavy duty plastic disposable plates cups and bowls in there too.
@MrAtoz
I thought about this a lot when my parents were in decline, and later Barbara’s. My conclusion was that if the situation appeared to be catastrophic to go and take them with me. Obviously, the situation has a great deal to do with your decision, but my default was this.
Staying with your family is a non-starter. You’d be putting all of you at severe risk. Sending only your family and staying with your mom puts your family at much higher risk without you along to protect them, particularly given the M/F ratio. Leaving your mom is not an option. So you take everyone to Kansas. Or so would be my default plan.
“I don’t expect unrest in Vegas. If there is, it will be because tourists stop coming. Then the Vegas economy will rapidly collapse.”
Question: if there is SHTF nationwide, wouldn’t touristas then stop coming to Lost Wages? Or would they still come to take their minds off the situation and/or eat, drink and get merry while Rome burns?
“I have 30 days of food and water for 5 stored.”
We’ve got in that neighborhood of food stored, but I need to jack that up by orders of magnitude. Ditto for the wotta. And we ain’t bugging out anywhere.
“My Mom is an issue. What to do. Currently in the hospital, dependent on a lot of meds and care. Do I stay? Do I go? Send the family off to Kansas? A hard call to make.”
Indeed. I would not envy you those decisions. It would also depend on whether your Mom could make it with you to KS and have adequate care along the way and then again at that destination. I forget: do you have other family somewhere else in the country?
Nick, good list as a starting point.
I’d add a couple of heavy trash bags, which have many uses from shelter to a rain poncho to collecting dew/rainwater. Also, two or three one- or two-liter soft drink bottles filled with water, which can subsequently be used with a Sawyer Mini filter to purify water. Rather than rice, I’d add retort pouches of dehydrated soup, which can even be eaten cold if necessary.
Or dump the soup mix in with the rice….
There are a lot of approaches to take. Start with defining your goal, bare survival? Enough energy to do recovery work? Just live until help arrives?
Are you worried about weight, size, or cost? (backpack gear is going to minimize the first two and max out the last.)
Mountain House dehydrated meals in a bag are very convenient.
Water is your first need, and I’m assuming access to some, which needs treatment. Otherwise, even filling the buckets just with water won’t be enough. (RBT, the collapsible bottles were a compromise between taking up space and having somewhere to store water, they are very popular with the hip set and are available on hang tags at my grocery store.) SOME sort of water storage is needed for sure.
In use, I’d dump out the buckets, use one for a toilet if going out wasn’t an option, and the other for bulk water.
Using canned fuel minimizes the “messing around” factor, and it stores well. It does cost more and limits the type of stove… (I’ve only got a couple of stoves that use it, and a minimal amount of cans.)
Using disposable plates, bowls, cups (and you can use a solo cup as a bowl) minimizes risks of food borne illness and water use. They’re pretty compact and CAN be reused if needed.
A deck of cards, pack of dominos, or checker/chess/backgammon travel set would certainly help too.
n
Someone somewhere once pointed out that if you don’t have water at your destination to re-hydrate your food, you might as well used canned food. The actual cans don’t add significant weight compared to water, and are order of magnitude cheaper.
n
We have family in TX, WA, MO, HI and PA. Ya, I’d pick up my Mom. I wouldn’t expect her to last long in a real SHTF bug out scenario. She’s dependent on too many drugs including insulin. Vegas would also crumble in a SHTF deal. We’re too tourist dependent. KS is the best bet for plenty of water and farm land. Not that I would be growing anything, just bartering for crops and meat.
Canned vs dehydrated vs freeze dried cost wise doesn’t matter to me. As long as the pension keeps coming, my real concern is being mobile for a bug out. I’m the only one prepping with the fems not caring or helping. LTS is hard to hide if your garage is as freaking hot as it gets in Vegas. I’ve got the aqua out there and the dehydrated in the closet. I’d like to start a real LTS pantry to eat and rotate out of, but without cooperation it is difficult. Our house in KS would be ideal. Two floors with a finished basement with bed and bath. I could LTS years worth of food down there without a problem. Basically climate controlled since it is a basement. lol! I expect to die in Vegas with a bingo dauber clutched in my hand. Some Alien Archeologist will find my carcass a couple centuries from now. “What kind of weapon is that disgusting Human holding?”
I tried heating some cans (empty and with a little water) on the gas range but I cut the experiment short due to the noxious fumes. I’d think that it would be much better to avoid heating food in cans. I’m sure there are exceptions, but the plastic liners are scary. Any sort of cheap cooking pan would be a better bet. Note small disposable aluminum pie pans and loaf pans, but also note that they could be very hard to clean with all the folds. Some kind of non-stick pan (even with the Teflon scare) would be easy to clean. Good old stainless steel (or aluminum) nesting camp cook-sets are by far the most durable.
If you have no experience cooking on a campfire or such, try it some. Be sure to use chert rocks for the fire pit / fire ring, to enjoy the fireworks and for practice dodging bullets as the rocks explode.
I might include a flashlight.
Here is my Christmas gift this year for my bros, nephews, niece, BIL, SILs, etc. A nice little 2 AA LED flashlight by Maglite. Not as nice as my Fenix E21 or E25 but only $18. I’ve put at least 20 batteries through my test purchase, walking around the two mile loop almost every night.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UUSAAM/
For casual usage, I believe in quantity over quality. I’ve got LEd lanterns all over the house and office. I’ve got these 2 AA LED flashlights scattered all over the place including at least two per vehicle.
“”2 AA LED flashlight by Maglite””
+1
Mag reliability, though I have not abused it.
Also like RBT’s older suggestion of Ultrafire Cree 3AAA.
I have shared lots of the cheapo (Harbor Freight, or Walmart 10~pack) 3AAA LED FLASHLIGHTS and I have several of them in various places in house and vehicles.
(although I don’t believe in throwing non-violent offenders in jail or prison. tres stupid)
Official oppression is a very bad thing. Somebody got hurt by her lies.
The stocks would be appropriate. A second offense would be the cat of nine tails.
For casual usage, I believe in quantity over quality.
Indeed. But I still think you need to have access to a couple of really good, rugged and bright lights. AA battery lights would be ideal as the cells are common. But a good CR123 powered light is also desirable as the cells have an extremely long shelf life, don’t leak, and provide full power until almost diminished. It is no big deal to store a half dozen of the cells on the shelf. In the overall scheme of what you have spent on the rest of the items don’t skimp on the primary light.
“first, you’re going to need a bigger bucket”
I realized that as I wrote it. I really should have worded it in a way to suggest them most I could pack into a five-gallon bucket, in an ideal combination.
“Such kits are available from Emergency Essentials, and others… The problem with these kits is that they’re built cheaply…”
Assembling something myself is my plan, because most pre-package stuff is simply junk.
As to packing, I vaguely recall a comment in a documentary from about 25 years ago about cave diving, where the divers spent many days, utilizing rebreathers, to explore chains of caves in Mexico. In order to pack enough food, they pulverized dehydrated meals, and packed it into stainless steel capsules with a hydraulic press. Each meal was chipped out with a pick, the color change in each layer indicating a different meal, then re-hydrated and eaten.
I am not likely to go to that extreme.
In part I thought it would be an interesting topic on preparedness. Sure, I can store in large quantities myself. My family may be less interested or able or whatever, but if I can mitigate some burden and perhaps trigger some action it is win-win.
I appreciate the input!
For LED lanterns (cheap), look for a newer “flat” LED shining up onto a cone-shaped reflector for good light distribution (without shadows and hot spots). AA versions can be had in the $5 range.
“”2 AA LED flashlight by Maglite””
+1
Mag reliability, though I have not abused it.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UUSAAM/
I have dropped it from 3 to 4 ft at least five times. That would have killed the old incandescent light bulb several times over. The drops onto concrete have nicked the metal finish a couple of times which I have cleaned up by rubbing on a file so the burr does not rip my skin.
Although, I am not sure that this is a real Maglite. Amazon is carrying an enormouse amount of fakes nowadays, just ask Apple.
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-37715531
Be careful out there.
I love my EDC of Pelican 1920. Smooth satin finish. Feels great in my hand, fits well in pocket, no flashing nonsense, very bright. Batteries last pretty well, and it stays bright (but blinks and drops out) until the batts fail. Color rendering is good.
I use it many times a day.
n
For LED lanterns, I get the Coleman ruggedized four D cell LED. Wow, the Amazon price is really up on these ($46). On low the batteries last several days.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VTJJ5DE/
@terry, you MIGHT get 72 hours for 4 people in one bucket, but it will be bare minimum stuff…
n
I’m “testing” a better FLASHLIGHT with rechargeable battery (via USB port on the light itself) and I’ll share the info when I feel good about it… and when it becomes available again (after I order some more, likely). One guy told me it’s “20% brighter” than his 3D MagLite.
I hope it will replace some old dive lights I have used for (relatively) long range for years. (I think the correct term is long “throw” !)
Someone somewhere once pointed out that if you don’t have water at your destination to re-hydrate your food, you might as well used canned food. The actual cans don’t add significant weight compared to water, and are order of magnitude cheaper.
I totally agree. That is why I prefer canned food as it has the water in it. Mostly, except for this canned brown bread stuff which is the driest thing that I have ever eaten:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0025UCI94/
The other problem with cooking food besides fuel is the smell. Everyone who is starving in your neighborhood is going to follow the smell of cooking food and show up at your front door. Big, big problem.
“”not sure that this is a real Maglite. Amazon is carrying an enormouse amount of fakes nowadays””
My 2AA LED Maglite has a serial number. Got it from a local chain store.
Packaging and all looked legit, but who knows.
“”canned brown bread stuff which is the driest thing that I have ever eaten:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0025UCI94/ “”
B&M bread is likely hygroscopic, it’s so dry.
I actually like the stuff (in moderation).
“”@terry, you MIGHT get 72 hours for 4 people in one bucket, but it will be bare minimum stuff… “”
Hmm, maybe one bucket per person (including kid) ?
To suggest personal responsibility ??
I tried one of the bucket lid “wrench” tools and it scared me that it might bust the lid (towards the center, not just the edge) at the pry point! Not sure how to get lids off without lots of thumb power…
Coffee is kicking in, but I’ll try to shut up for a while…
Except…
Try to store at least some of your FLASHLIGHTS and lanterns and such with the batteries removed (in a baggie attached) due to potential battery leakage.
“New Technology At Detroit Metro Airport Allows Travelers To Move Through Security Lines In A Flash”
http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2016/10/27/new-system-at-detroit-metro-airport-allows-travelers-to-move-through-airport-security-in-a-flash/
“It’s called CLEAR and it’s now in operation at the airport’s McNamara Terminal. Certified as a “qualified anti-terrorism technology” by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, CLEAR has been used more than five million times to move travelers quickly through airport security lines at 16 other airports.”
““They validate their identity using a knowledge-based quiz, they use a government identification that’s validated using technology, and then we link it to their bio-metrics — we take 10 fingerprints with a digital reader, we take a scan of their iris, and we take a high-res photo of their face,” said CLEAR spokesperson David Cohen.”
Wow, I am surprised that they are not taking a DNA sample. My former USMC son did give one to the DOD for future identification if needed when he was in the marine Corps.
It is worrisome that any governmental entity has this much info on a person.
Except…
Try to store at least some of your FLASHLIGHTS and lanterns and such with the batteries removed (in a baggie attached) due to potential battery leakage.
We have frequent electrical outages out here in the sticks and I may need my stuff in a hurry. I am not having any problems with the D cells in the LED lanterns (some of them are approaching 8 years on the original batteries). I have had one of my Fenix E21 LED with the two AA batteries leak though. That was not pretty and I just threw it away.
Hmm, maybe one bucket per person (including kid) ?
To suggest personal responsibility ??
I tried one of the bucket lid “wrench” tools and it scared me that it might bust the lid (towards the center, not just the edge) at the pry point! Not sure how to get lids off without lots of thumb power…
I have a Augason bucket of sugar in my offsite storage. It does not fit ! The shelf door is sticking out about an inch. However, Ray was standing next to it for 30 minutes and did not notice the door sticking out.
“”frequent electrical outages out here in the sticks and I may need my stuff in a hurry””
But of course, stash some with batteries in… Yet another reason to have several !
WRT cooking vessels:
Steer away from aluminum. It is attacked by the slightest amount of acid in anything you are cooking (i.e. tomatoes).
Enamel lined and coated cast iron dutch ovens and uncoated cast iron fry pans are my first choice, if I am not bugging out.
I have both a stainless steel (high quality, not magnetic) nesting camping set that I have had forever as well a an enameled steel camping set.
Remember, all that aluminum foil stuff is of limited use and when it is gone where are you going to get more. You’re not. So you need to be prepared for when it does.
You may be experienced cooking burgers and steaks on the grill, you need to get used to cooking in pots and pans too. Cooking over an open fire is a challenge. You need to have a large well supported heavy cooking grate. Large so that you can move what you are cooking from hot to cooler zones. You also do not cook over flame, you want coals.
My wife just texted me, she wants another “home protection” shotgun. I have a Beretta 1301 Tactical, she has shot it and can handle it. So, off to my favorite gun store for another one (BTW,she still hasn’t decided on a carry weapon). Don’t want to confuse folks with different guns or ammunition.
“My wife just texted me, she wants another “home protection” shotgun. I have a Beretta 1301 Tactical, she has shot it and can handle it. So, off to my favorite gun store for another one (BTW,she still hasn’t decided on a carry weapon).”
Oh my goodness gracious, OFD is wildly gobsmacked here!
Your wife is truly a gem to be treasured and adored, sir! And taking her time to pick out a CCW, too! Outstanding! (remember to be as careful with holster selection for it, though).
Wow.
“””Also like RBT’s older suggestion of Ultrafire Cree 3AAA.”””
Oooops! That’s single AA !
Also have tried a 14500 (size of AA) at 3.6 volts, but I really cannot see a lot of difference in brightness.
WRT cooking vessels:
Agreed with what DadCooks says above !
Yes, lightweight will burn your food and is hard to cook with. I have normal pans and pots in my kits for use with colman stoves and the burner on the side of my grill. For a bucket/car kit/bob though, esp with a small lightweight stove, you need smaller lightweight cookware. You are just heating water and food, and shouldn’t really be doing any ‘cooking’. You can boil water on a campfire in a paper cup if need be. Done it myself….
nick
Also have tried a 14500 (size of AA) at 3.6 volts, but I really cannot see a lot of difference
They all use boost circuits to drive the LED as the LED requires 5 volts to operate. They all probably use the same boost circuitry to obtain the required voltage. Two cells will give you more run time. CR123 cells do not leak and shelf life is outstanding. Along with the cheap lights stashed around the house and vehicles I always carry two lights, sometimes three. Two are on a keychain, a button cell light and a single cell AAA (lithium) which is an ARC. branded light that is no longer made. The ARC light is super simple, on level, twist on and off, thus very reliable.
I was going to go out to the garage and see what I can fit in a bucket, but I’ve got a ton of work to do today. I’d rather be messing around with preps, but I’ll be calling a divorce lawyer if I don’t get some of the crap out of my driveway.
n
Thank you @Spook.
OFD said: “Your wife is truly a gem to be treasured and adored, sir! And taking her time to pick out a CCW, too! Outstanding! (remember to be as careful with holster selection for it, though).”
Thanks @Dave. She is looking at a carry purse. Again, my well stocked gun shop has some real nice carry purses that look very similar to the fine leather purses she carries now.
She wants to do a perimeter defensive standoff drill. I might pick up some Nerf Guns at Walmart for a practice situation so as not to freak out the neighbors.
Just rolled my old retirement plan out of Vanguard (I did well, way better than their “plans”) and into an IRA at my local Credit Union. I want my money close and I am totally out of the market. My speculating days are over.
This weekend we are going to walk through our prep supplies to refresh the wife and kids with what is where. I do know I am about at my minimum inventory of bottled water so Costco run tomorrow.
I have carried this 1 x AAA flashlight in pants pocket for a year…
ThorFire PF01 (see Amazon $12).
I have not torture tested it, but it seems solid. Two light settings; dim is just enough for finding something in the dark.
Put the clip on the other end and it clips on a cap brim; this also aims it up in pocket so you can see if it is accidentally turned on and it also protects the switch and the plastic tail cap (which seems sturdy, but it’s not metal).
Ya know, it seems cool out today, but it really isn’t.
90F with 44%RH feels like 94F I guess it is better than 100+ but I was a bit surprised how much I was sweating.
Feeling a bit faint atm…
nick
“”Thank you @Spook.””
You be welcome!
This type of grill is probably what DadCooks is talking about, if you have the option for a serious campfire. We use it for 6 – 10 people in camp. The trick is to drag coals from the main fire under the grill, especially for meat and veg grilling. The larger fire with flames off to one side adds to the baking effect (even just for steaks or chops).
I cut one of these in half and pried the leg loops open (legs still work fine) to make it pack more compactly; folded legs tend to make for a somewhat awkward package, but of course you might lose them if they are not attached.
https://www.amazon.com/Coghlans-8775-Camp-Grill/dp/B000KKCWGA/
This is more like the camp grill I have:
https://www.amazon.com/Texsport-Heavy-Duty-Over-Grill/dp/B000P9D062?th=1&psc=1
Key features are the angle iron and the heavy diamond grate.
Edit: If you get something like this you need to season it before use, you need to burn off any paint or oils. Care: wire brush and vegetable brushed on after each use.
Mine is actually 50+ years old, made by my neighbor in his foundry (yes he had a custom foundry business, quite impressive, but not politically correct so I am glad he passed before the gooberment put him out of business).
Another edit: my grill is all stainless steel, frame and grate.
“”This is more like the camp grill I have:
https://www.amazon.com/Texsport-Heavy-Duty-Over-Grill/dp/B000P9D062?th=1&psc=1
Key features are the angle iron and the heavy diamond grate. “”
I almost suggested that one, too, though I have no direct experience cooking on one. I think the legs fold flush, which is an advantage.
Round chromed grill bars should be easier to clean, though, but I have found that I can’t prevent rust very well, so I tend to use a stainless grill topper or grilling skillet (with holes).
I also use a thin stainless grill topper and four 3″ stainless bolts with nuts and washers for a small light duty version of this.
The main thing for campfire cooking is to make sure (and test and test again) that your grill will not fall or tip over. Murphy rules here!
edit: DadCooks added that his grill is stainless steel! Sweet!
Just rolled my old retirement plan out of Vanguard
Next week I am rolling all money in my IRA accounts from the mutual funds into the cash accounts. The taxed money will have to remain in mutual funds otherwise I will get hit with a large capital gains tax. I will leave the money in cash until after the election.
Looks like the dumbocrats are conceding Florida:
http://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20161027/tim-kaine-sarasota-rally-canceled
and Marco Rubio is five points above his challenger:
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/senate-update-rubio-is-keeping-the-republicans-hopes-alive-in-the-senate/
I find it hard to believe that Hillary could take Florida and not carry the down ballot challenger with her.
“”This is more like the camp grill I have:
https://www.amazon.com/Texsport-Heavy-Duty-Over-Grill/dp/B000P9D062?th=1&psc=1
Key features are the angle iron and the heavy diamond grate. “”
Here is my camp grill:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Char-Broil-4-Burner-Gas-Grill-with-Side-Burner-Stainless-Steel/47428776
I’ve got it sitting in its box in the garage with three propane tanks.
yuck,. fell asleep at the desk, so now I can add ‘stiff neck’ to my complaints 😛
Gotta make a scrap run…..
n
Also have tried a 14500 (size of AA) at 3.6 volts, but I really cannot see a lot of difference
They all use boost circuits to drive the LED as the LED requires 5 volts to operate.
I did not know that. So that is why the light starts cutting out when the batteries are really faded. That LED Maglite will give me about 1.5 hours at full strength on two AAs. The Fenix E21 and E25 only give me about an hour before fading.
I have my computer alarm set to let me know when the discussion of FLASHLIGHTS comes on and when it finally dies down. So fah, so good.
Hauled some firewood in and got the stove cooking again; I’ll be experimenting with it this fall and winta here; we know we can heat stuff up and also cook things on TOP of it, but I wanna try piling a couple of cinder blocks in front of the opening and using cast-iron skillets and pots on the hot coals. Also in the process of cleaning out and renovating our PK Grill, and hope to make more use of that in the coming cold weather; that bugger will grill, bake and smoke stuff very nicely. I did last T-Day’s turkey in it and it came out perfectly done with a beautiful bronze finish.
Highly recommended:
http://www.pkgrills.com/
I’m also gonna rig some kind of light that will cover the grill area so I can see WTF I’m doing out there, as the back porch light is inadequate.
“”You can boil water on a campfire in a paper cup if need be. Done it myself….””
Me, too. Back when paper cups were wax / paraffin coated…
Has anybody tried this with “modern” plastic coated paper cups?
“”some kind of light that will cover the grill area””
I assume you mean a floodlight on the side of the house or something…
I tend to use a headlamp for grilling and camp cooking.
Trigger warning: this is a type of FLASHLIGHT ! [grin]
I tend to use small tabletop gas grills at home. Also have one rigged to pack / unpack easily for camp, but I have not used it yet. Green bottles are OK, but I much prefer the big LP tank at home… even though the hose for this is expensive and it will be eaten by squirrels (and drain your tank!) if you leave it outside.
The small tabletop gas grills don’t last too long, especially if left out in the weather. The burner is first thing to fail, and new burners (if you can find one that fits) cost as much as a new grill. At least they convert to charcoal pretty easily (mostly by adding a charcoal tray) and I used to have a friend who cooked on charcoal a lot so he got good use out of my little worn out gas grills.
I do tend to use a heavy porcelain grill grate instead of the thin wire one that typically comes with a cheap little gas grill.
“”You can boil water on a campfire in a paper cup if need be. Done it myself….””
Me, too. Back when paper cups were wax / paraffin coated…
Has anybody tried this with “modern” plastic coated paper cups?
Completely by accident we learned you can place a plastic water bottle(no lid) directly into a campfire and it will come to a boil. The top may deform where there is no water but even in contact with coals it will not melt.
“”plastic water bottle(no lid) directly into a campfire and it will come to a boil. The top may deform where there is no water but even in contact with coals it will not melt.””
Wow. Same as the old paper cup trick, where it’s likely to burn down to the top of the water.
I wonder how silicone cups would work for this? I just can’t see any point in trying it (versus cost) but it might be good to know for crisis usage.
Our respected correspondent here, Mr. Rick H, has a new article over at Pournelle’s site.
Thanks, Mr. Rick !
Upholding the hard-earned reputation of Aggies.
@Spook … thanks! Just trying to keep the site alive. Hard to do with Jerry’s limitations.
As for grill FLASHLIGHTS … how about this one? http://amzn.to/2fcfVw5
(Gotta keep that FLASHLIGHT alarm ringing!)
Our respected correspondent here, Mr. Rick H, has a new article over at Pournelle’s site.
Nice article, “Detecting Vulnerable “Internet of Things””:
http://chaosmanorreviews.com/detecting-vulnerable-internet-of-things/
Upholding the hard-earned reputation of Aggies.
http://abc13.com/news/cops-aggie-crashed-into-patrol-car-while-topless-snapchatting/1575867/
When I was a sophomore, Playboy magazine came out with a ranking of universities by the quantity of drinking. TAMU was not ranked in the article. But, there was an asterisk on the table header. At the bottom of the article, there was this line, ” * It is unfair to rank professionals with amateurs and so we have not ranked Texas A&M University.”
That said, sounds like old traditions have not changed very much. And young ladies driving drunk and with a tattoo on her chest, I just don’t know where to go with that. I suspect that her parents are not proud. At least the driving drunk part, I seem to be an old fogy about tattoos.
“”As for grill FLASHLIGHTS … how about this one? http://amzn.to/2fcfVw5
(Gotta keep that FLASHLIGHT alarm ringing!)””
OFD is on the floor, crying… in the dark.
I do like the clamp-on type FLASHLIGHT(s), for various purposes.
A headlamp is somewhat more versatile… and it makes an excellent FLASHLIGHT fashion statement.
“”I seem to be an old fogy about tattoos.””
Show of hands?
+1
I have plenty of scars (all small, fortunately) so I feel no need for further marking of my hide.
“I tend to use a headlamp for grilling and camp cooking.”
YES! Perfect! Why didn’t I think of that? WTF is wrong with me??
“I seem to be an old fogy about tattoos.”
Ditto. No one in either my family or wife’s has them. We find them incredibly tacky and I personally see them as yet another needless identifiable mark on one’s holy temple of a body, lol.
“As for grill FLASHLIGHTS … how about this one?”
Thanks, that looks good, but I think I’ll try Mr. Spook’s headlamp suggestion; that way whatever it is I need to look at is gonna be right there in the glow. I went to AMZ for that link; why would they pair that grill light in a bundle with eyelash growth serum??? Weird.
Mrs. OFD emailed me from the Capital District (over in the Vampire State) and is under the weather w/flu-like symptoms, thanks, most likely and once again, to coughing, sneezing, sniveling, dripping class members. She has a half-day tomorrow and then will drive back up here (about 3-4 hours) and probably crash right away for the whole weekend. Doesn’t have to leave again until after T-Day.
Clamp-on flashlights are for wimps. Real men have flashlights with spikes on the end, and they jam the spike through their trapezius when they need to have their hands free.
Oh, geeze… don’t get me started.
For FLASHLIGHT headlamps, I like Princeton Tec, but Petzl has a lot of fans.
Water resistance is good, of course, as is light weight, but I’d skip anything that uses other than AA or likely AAA batteries. You might find a good FLASHLIGHT headlamp handy for lots of things, like working on the car or finding cables behind your computer… and so on.
Red LEDs are good for preserving night vision, of course, but I recommend against red for cooking!
Dave, are you tooled up for your alternative income stream, the one to be worked on in the attic? If yes, drop me an email.
@ SteveF:
I had to look up trapezius…
I figured you were quite crazy until I realized it was not part of the skull.
Does this spike have barbs, or can you just hold it in by tensing the muscle?
I’ve got a couple of these
https://www.amazon.com/Nebo-Larry-Lucy-Flashlight-light/dp/B007M0KCW2
Clip for shirt, belt or pocket. Magnetic top to hang it. Lot of broad lighting (not that kinda broad).
Oooooh! Shiny!
I got this headlamp recommended on Cool Tools:
Black Diamond Spot Headlamp
I got two, actually. You need a backup for your FLASHLIGHTS. I wanted a headlamp with red light capability which this one has. All the light settings are dim-able and work great. I carry one in my murse along with other FLASHLIGHTS.
Lynn wrote:
“I find it hard to believe that Hillary could take Florida and not carry the down ballot challenger with her.”
Happens all the time. The only state McGovern carried in 1972 was Taxachusetts, but several GOP candidates won House seats even though their district voted for McGovern.
I thought of Black Diamond (iirc an off-shoot of Chouinard climbing gear), which is also a popular “pro” brand.
There’s a lot to be said for dim first and especially for red first settings, for saving one’s night vision and the night vision of your buddy… unless you never look at him/her immediately with a “huh?” !
If flashlights with clamps are for wimps, then flashlights with magnets are for pathetic little snowflakes who need a safe space.
I said trapezius, not trepanning. Though if you can do brain surgery on yourself using the spike on the end of your flashlight, make sure to get video of the procedure. 10,000,000 youtube hits for sure!
As noted recently, Mr. MrAtoz has some sort of editing set-up in WordPress.
He’s showing off a bit with his bold FLASHLIGHTS (crap, it didn’t copy over)…
Copy-paste doesn’t pick up text decorations like bolding or italics.
To boldface your text, put
<strong>your stuff</strong>
To italicize it, put
<em>your stuff</em>
And, while I’m at it, make blockquotes with
<blockquote>your stuff</blockquote>
@ SteveF:
Uh, don’t you have the magnet implanted in your forehead?
Versatile for lots of things besides the usual cast iron headlamp FLASHLIGHT.
Testing…
your stuff
Shiny! Or, actually dark!
“I seem to be an old fogy about tattoos.”
Ditto. No one in either my family or wife’s has them. We find them incredibly tacky and I personally see them as yet another needless identifiable mark on one’s holy temple of a body, lol.
My wife has a tattoo. It was the final step for breast reconstruction after her mastectomy in 2005. God gave her a great nipple but it had been invaded by the cancer. Now she has a nipple tattoo on the breast reconstruction. Not the same.
No, the metal in my head is non-ferrous.
“”nipple tattoo””
Save the tatas !!
“”No, the metal in my head is non-ferrous.””
Well, duh. That’s why you need a magnet there.
I have a FLASHLIGHT tattooed on my scrotum.
Rapidly going downhill…
Secret codes: by default, these codes are allowed in comments, unless turned off by a plugin.
“The following HTML codes are allowed in the comment area: [a href=”” title=”” rel=”nofollow”] [b] [blockquote] [cite] [em] [i] [strike] [strong] ”
replacing the bracket with the usual greater/less-than characters.
I wish to call attention to the fact that it is not my doing that this conversation has turned to junk.
Save the tatas !!
Nah, take them off if they are cancerous. This cutting out the cancer procedure, known as a lumpectomy, is very risky if you ask me. And the radiation treatment is nasty.
Both of my wife’s paternal aunts have had breast cancer. One aunt at age 63. The other aunt at age 46 (same as wife) and the other breast at age 65. One of my wife’s first cousins died from breast cancer as age 49 (spread into her heart). The wife figures that she will lose the other breast in another 6 to 8 years.
And one of her maternal aunts had breast cancer also. Funny, I did not know that Cherokee women had a problem with breast cancer.
And her paternal great grandmother died of “consumption” at age 45. That was what they used to call breast cancer after it spread into the heart, lungs, bones, and liver. Not a kind disease.
RickH, was that a glitch or a joke?
EDIT: disregard; you fixed your comment
“”following HTML codes are allowed in the comment area: “”
Got nothing after that except ” — ” !
Consumption was tuberculosis. I don’t think it was used for anything else. I suppose there might have been a misdiagnosis, or a parochial usage by some country doc who may or may not have known what he was at.
Save the tatas !!
“”Nah, take them off if they are cancerous.””
But of course. I meant to save them from cancer, somehow, eventually,
beforehand.
I would think that any breast disease (or even just “chestal area” — points for knowing the reference) would be stifled in the descriptions, even by doctors, prior to fairly recent times.
Consumption was breathing difficulties. Many problems cause breathing difficulties, including tuberculosis.
We need to stifle the F-word so we can get OFD back into this.
“I wish to call attention to the fact that it is not my doing that this conversation has turned to junk.”
Noted. Though this is somewhat like one of our female pit bull terriers years ago who would come out to the living room and make damn sure we saw her while she kept wagging her head at the kitchen, where her son was very busy demolishing food on the counter, the trash, etc., and trying to open the fridge. i.e., “I didn’t DO it THIS time.”
“Dave, are you tooled up for your alternative income stream, the one to be worked on in the attic? If yes, drop me an email.”
Roger that. That was the plan this past summer and I even got an A-C unit up there ready to go, but then all this chit started in heavy with my back and I haven’t been able to do diddly for any of that stuff, other than more research and design stuff on the pooter down here. I have the tools, the furniture, etc., etc. but it’s in a pile, more or less, in one corner. With any luck, my treatment on 11/1 down at the VA med center will fix me up, if not good as new, at least back to some semblance of functionality.
Edit: in other words, to get all my chit set up in the attic workspace will involve a lot of kneeling, sitting, twisting myself in odd positions, picking up and moving stuff, etc., etc. and I can’t effing do it right now. Ten minutes on my feet is near the limit; carrying stuff from the car or woodpile requires an immediate sit-down break until I can get the next load. It’s effing pathetic; full-grown evil WHITEY male at 6’5 and 245 and I’m a virtual cripple.
“”Consumption was breathing difficulties. Many problems cause breathing difficulties, including tuberculosis.””
Worthwhile observation, Mr. Lynn. Simplistic diagnosis in them days…
Save the tatas !!
“”Nah, take them off if they are cancerous.””
But of course. I meant to save them from cancer, somehow, eventually,
beforehand.
I wish. Unfortunately, my wife has both of the major DNA problems, BRCA1 and BRCA2. And both of the minor DNA problems that I cannot remember what they are to save my life. Some women after finding this out are having both breasts removed. My wife chose not to do that even upon MDACC’s advice to do so.
However, there is a another treatment for breast cancer survivors. That is to get a weekly injection of Herceptin for a year. My wife was in the first clinical study which was ended early since it dropped the chance of occurrence in stage 2b with both genes from 45% to less than 20% in the first five years. I do not know if they are running a long term study. But, I am hoping that it forestalls the risk of the second breast.
Best wishes! If I may be so bold as to send a hug…
Not a problem. Drop me a line when you’re set and I’ll dredge some stuff out of the river and get it up to you, before it inexplicably falls in the river again.
I’m innocent unless it can be proven otherwise, which it never can be because I wasn’t there and there was an imposter and the NSA did it and I wasn’t even born yet when it happened.
So long as “them days” means before about 1900. The tuberculosis bacterium was identified and tied to the disease in the 1880s, and was well-known to properly educated doctors by 1900. Hick doctors who got most of their education from reading the label on a bottle of patent medicine may have been slower to catch up.
Worthwhile observation, Mr. Lynn. Simplistic diagnosis in them days…
Hah ! You were lucky if the doctor’s treatments did not kill you in that time. In fact, you may be still lucky if they do not kill you. My wife’s chemotherapy treatments in 2005 are still giving gifts to her: lung issues (coughing at the faintest wisp of smoke), peripheral nerve damage in ALL extremities, claustrophobia (figure that one out !), and dead thyroid. I can hardly wait for the next long term damage to popup. But, the chemo worked, she had a secondary tumor in one infected lymph node and no other long term spreading.
Consumption was used only for tuberculosis. It had nothing to do with breathing issues, but referred to the wasting away of body mass in advanced stages.
“”Consumption was used only for tuberculosis. It had nothing to do with breathing issues, but referred to the wasting away of body mass in advanced stages.””
Well, that’s still kinda my point about diagnosis issues…
Docs, possibly well into our recent times, are reluctant to touch the “chestal area” and just base diagnosis on the cough and such.
Seriously, I bet a breast tumor could have spread into lungs (directly or just by pressure) and caused breathing problems and the diagnosis coulda been TB…
Classic tale: Coroner declares cause of death is heart attack, until they roll him over and there’s a knife in his back.
Starting in the late 1800s, “consumption” meant only tuberculosis. The term originated around the 14th century in England, referring to breathing issues in general. I was being snide when I said hick doctors were behind the times.
At which point it was declared to be the clearest case of suicide he’d ever seen.
Though a knife in the back, done right, would be a heart attack.
Simplistic diagnosis in them days
So long as “them days” means before about 1900. The tuberculosis bacterium was identified and tied to the disease in the 1880s, and was well-known to properly educated doctors by 1900. Hick doctors who got most of their education from reading the label on a bottle of patent medicine may have been slower to catch up.
Appalachian mountains in 1910 ? 1920 ?, way outside Chenago Forks, NY ? Were there any real doctors up there in the sticks ? That area was poor, real poor until after WW II.
Starting in the late 1800s, “consumption” meant only tuberculosis. The term originated around the 14th century in England
Hey, Mr. OFD is the hyper-literate mofo here, bucko!
My FIL told me his grandmother died of consumption at age 45 in the early 1900s. I asked the same question, tuberculosis ? And he said no, something was wrong with her breathing. But this is that family lore stuff so who knows.
Anyway, my point is that breast cancer can be genetic and spread like wildfire down a family tree. Nobody told my wife that their family had breast cancer until she turned up with it. So she skipped her mammograms after one at age 40 until she was 46 and then lit up her mammogram with a score of 5 (score range of 0 to 5).
“”Though a knife in the back, done right, would be a heart attack.””
Nice play on words, sir.
Same deal for “heart failure” cause of death…
Caused by a bullet or starvation or whatever, it’s not really a lie.
I may or may not be a hyper-literate mofo, but I have an enormous supply of loose information bopping around in my otherwise empty skull. I do confirm dates and spellings and some other details with Wikipedia or other searches, but most of what I write here is stuff I already knew.
One novelist said that’s what makes me such a good editor, that I know lots n lots of things, so I catch a lot of screwups and can suggest changes to dialog or a scene to bring in supporting detail and such. It also got a wanna-be editor mad at me because I don’t have an English degree and it wasn’t fair that I knew a lot of things and made it harder for her to get gigs. (I’m surely garbling her complaint. The logic, such as it was, was very difficult to follow.)
WRT tattoos:
They used to mean something truly significant and also there is cultural/tribal significance. Too bad, like way too many things, they have been taken over by the dregs of society.
When I was in the Submarine Service there were still a good number of old diesel boat sailors. Their tattoos signified special ports and things like crossing the equator and date line. The COB (Chief of the Boat) on my first boat was one of these Diesel Boats Forever types as well as being a Native Hawaiian so he had quite a “visual” history on him, not just Navy related but also tribal related (and “tribal” here really means something significant).
Gone are the days where a tattoo really meant something significant.
If you are a gang banger, your tattoos tell the story of your life.
Prison sentences, favorite crimes, gang affiliation…
It’s a tribal society, with visual markers.
Helps us identify danger too…..
n
‘cuz nothing says “STAY AWAY” like 3 teardrops, and MS-13 as a neck tattoo…
Man, this is so more fun than debugging some awful 1960s Fortran II code that has been slightly modified into F77 code over the years.
50 CONTINUE
IF ( KE1SET .EQ. 0 ) GOTO 56
51 CONTINUE
KE1SET = I-1
GOTO 52
56 CONTINUE
DO 825 II=1,NEMAX
IF ( NCONTL .EQ. IEQNO (leqno + nemax + 2 + II).I ) GOTO 727
825 CONTINUE
GOTO 726
Knew a kid who had his john thomas tattooed like a barber pole in prison, with a giant shamrock covering the end. (He was irish.) He made all kinds of claims about the benefits, which I put down to nerve damage in the skin….
n
I am reading the fourth book of the 299 Days saga right now. The survival group has a front gate to their 200 home Washington state seashore enclave that they are guarding. The gate guards have instructions not to let anyone with neck tattoos in.
https://www.amazon.com/299-Days-Stronghold-Glen-Tate/dp/0615720978/
The federal government seized all the bank accounts and nationalized the large food companies so they just seized an 18 wheeler of food …
venezuala did the second part of that already, and made slaves of the entire country by requiring them to work in agriculture without pay.
n
Posted as a reference.
nick
Moron or troll?
No, not the teenage girl. She was screwing around but didn’t destroy anything or endanger herself or anyone else. No, not the other kids or the mother.
But what about the father? “I think we should call the fire department.” He sure sounded serious, which suggests he wasn’t joking around and is in fact a retard who should have been sterilized before spawning five times. Guess it never occurred to him to carve the hole half an inch bigger, or even just hold the stupid thing up while the girl moved around to free herself.
Remember, everyone: friends don’t let stupid friends have children.
“Hey, Mr. OFD is the hyper-literate mofo here, bucko!”
Any hyper-literate geek knows the word “consumption” ON SIGHT to be derived from Latin and then morphed into Old/Middle French and then Middle English. BFD.
“Remember, everyone: friends don’t let stupid friends have children.”
From your lips to them friends’ ears. Yikes. All they needed was for Dad to pop out to the tool shed and grab his chainsaw and get to work. Whole deal over in seconds. Pumpkin off and no more pesky idiot teenage daughter who, as we hear almost immediately, plans to put it all on FaceCrack. So it’s on the Toob and probably FC, and All Other Available Social Media. This is Murka, folks, and a typical family of Murkan derps. Tremble for the country.
In my day, stupid moves were pretty much kept quiet.
Now, they advertise and promote all that on social media.
Sadly, that dumb teen girl and her family will likely all get promotions at work, or hired in the first place, due to the stupidity. TEOTWAWKI
Patrick nails the possibilities:
http://buchanan.org/blog/a-presidency-from-hell-125889
If she gets in, that mountain of chit coming down on her head will finish her off.
And then we’ll have President Kaine.
Unless some other funny chit happens in the next two weeks.
And we have an acquittal in the Oregon refuge standoff caper:
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/10/27/jury-acquits-all-defendants-in-oregon-wildlife-refuge-standoff.html
With apparently a whole big mess of snitches and rats scattered all through said caper.
Kids, don’t try this at home. Remember, if you strike at the king, you better not fucking miss.
Wife and I have been looking at bug-out plans. One complication is we live just south of Memphis and our target is the family farm in Oklahoma. There are not a lot of bridges across the Mississippi, and in a SHTF situation, we sure as hell wouldn’t be driving through a high concentration of human rats to try the Memphis bridges. In SHTF situation Mississippi bridges can easily become a deadly choke point. We have decided that if it looks even likely to turn sour, we will take an “unplanned holiday”. Without a trailer, we would rent a U-Haul truck to carry our supplies and go in convoy to the West Helena bridge about 60 miles south. We do not want to be caught here if things go south.
Holy crap no, you don’t want to be anywhere near a chithole like Memphis if ROL fails.
Place is bad enough with the lights on and the goblins semi-stupified.
Altho I remember Folks Folly being nice for dinner, the rest of it can burn.
nick
Maybe bug-out plans need to be adjusted if you have very far to go, or major obstacles (like bridge choke points, or freekin’ Mempho).
I have a buddy who wants me to bug to his relatively remote location, at least partly to reinforce his situation (mostly just him and wife). It’s within 50 miles, less as the crow flies. I’d have to abandon 99.9% of my assets (assuming I can take a vehicle full), and so on…
OFD has it better than I do, as far as location, but bug in place might be my best option.
I have a wide variety of flashlights, from four high-end expensive units, to dozens of low cost Harbor freight and Walmart specials. But my favorites are these solar powered lanterns https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YT5XK90/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
They recharge on a sunlit day and can even give a partial charge to cell phones. I love these, put in everyone’s emergency bag and have 4 more sitting on windowsills waiting to be used. In our last power outage, these gave us all the light we needed in lantern mode. I didn’t have to break out the expensive flashlights or candles. The LED is one of the greatest inventions of the last century.
The history of civilization is the history of lighting innovation. More light, cheaper, and you get more civilization….
n
@ Mr. H. Combs:
Looks like there are several versions of that lantern with the accordion fold shade.
I like it. Solar, crank, plain AA… nice!
“”The history of civilization is the history of lighting innovation. More light, cheaper, and you get more civilization….
n””
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLVWxuMsiDQ
“Darkness, Darkness” — The Youngbloods
““Darkness, Darkness” — The Youngbloods”
Great song and great voice. I dug his “Song for Juli” album when it came out. “Ridgetop” was my fave from that album as I was stationed at the mountaintop radar site in Marin County at the time. (Mt. Tamalpais, 666th Radar Squadron, Mill Valley Air Force Station, 26th Air Division, NORAD).
“OFD has it better than I do, as far as location, but bug in place might be my best option.”
Yeah, we ain’t goin’ anywhere unless it gets REAL BAD right here in this AO. Which is doubtful. We have four years invested in this house and town and neighborhood, plus the previous fourteen in central/northern Vermont. They may call me a “flatlander” but they can kiss my Mayflower descendant ass. (coming up on 400 years in the country, not counting Native Murkan blood and DNA back to the last friggin’ Ice Age, which is what, 12,000 years??)
Shoulda had a girl in this meme:
https://westernrifleshooters.wordpress.com/2016/10/27/yup-33/
But hey, men and boys suck and they’re evil so why not get more of them killed or maimed for nothing. The women can do a quick in-and-out “combat” deployment and then move into middle management, just like in IT.
“The woman is both a fool and a knave but, it seems, Trump has talked trash, and therefore she will likely be President. Weirdly, the future of the world depends on how an excited electorate of political middle-schoolers responds to one candidate’s dirty talk. From a curmudgeon’s point of view, it is pretty funny. It is funnier if one lives outside of the radiation footprint.”
https://www.lewrockwell.com/2016/10/fred-reed/loosening-grip-dc/
“”four years invested in this house and town and neighborhood””
Approaching 40 years here, nearly all of it in this shack. Damn, I’m old.
You got neighbors? Been working and moving around and talking with peeps in meatspace? Family in the area?
That IS a long time to stay in one place in a nay-shun that has long been On the Move all the time. My family when I was growing up lived in five different towns and skool systems before I turned 17 and went to work for Uncle. And I’ve lived in countless places in MA, NJ, and VT since I got out. This is it for us, though; wife has said we’ll go outta here feet-first.
Pax vobiscum, fratres; this old bastid has gotta try to get some sleep; back to the recliner, where, once I DO crap out, I’m usually dead to the world for 6-8 hours.
““Darkness, Darkness” — The Youngbloods”
Vanderbilt, 1970~
along with an obscure Florida / Georgia band, Duane and Gregg somebody…
“”You got neighbors? Been working and moving around and talking with peeps in meatspace? Family in the area?””
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLilJIxbHTA
Willie Dixon “You Shook Me”
Family keep moving further and further away; it’s possibly a good thing.
Hard for me to get out at all without running into casual friends, former co-workers, and the half of the immediate neighbors who are solid. Have other good friends in the area, close enough. Don’t know how my town would do in a crisis, but mostly people get along quite well, other than the major crime by some underclass scum, usually upon other underclass, every few days.
Who knows what it would take to remove the fairly thick veneer of civilization around here, but most of the folk of all flavors mostly get along. Famous last words, of course, come the hurricane or earthquake (metaphors, or not).
Weak brain and a narrow mind?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga3E-70u4g0&index=7&list=RD6HMafOfhAus
Willie Dixon
if you got a weak brain and a narrow mind
the world gonna leave you way behind
your friends will deceive you, leave you cryin’
can’t keep yours ’cause you are watchin’ mine
if you got a strong brain and your mind is broad
you gonna have more friends than a train can hold
you won’t have no trouble or worries at all
if you got a strong brain and your mind is broad
you know the strong overpower the weak
and the smart overpower the strong
the clever are the only ones enjoyin’ the world
while the greedy save all and enjoy none
if you got a strong brain and your mind is smart
nothin’ in the world is gonna be too hard
we gonna keep on goin’ before others start
if you got a strong brain and your mind is smart
Lynn wrote:
“Man, this is so more fun than debugging some awful 1960s Fortran II code that has been slightly modified into F77 code over the years.”
Solution: re-write it in Pascal.
A female ex-relative didn’t have BC but had her boobs removed a couple of years ago. Her mother, two of her mother’s sisters, and various other female relatives died young of BC. She has one of the mutant BRCAx genes. Last year the ovaries went. (She’s done with children and BRCAx is a risk factor for them.)
No tattoos, and no interest in geting any. I expect them on sailors and Hells Angels but not on normal people, especially not wimminz.
Man, this is so more fun than debugging some awful 1960s Fortran II code that has been slightly modified into F77 code over the years.
Goto! The young’n’s in the CS department don’t even believe that it exists in ‘C/C++’ … until I show them.
At Death Star Telephone, my first lead was fond of a set of error reporting macros in C which wrapped “goto”. We were writing *new* code with goto, and that did all kinds of frustrating things with regard to performance around the edges on modern CPUs.
I thought I saw a story that Nvidia and DoE had LLVM Fortran in the works.
No tattoos, and no interest in geting any. I expect them on sailors and Hells Angels but not on normal people, especially not wimminz.
Let me take you to the Walmart in Oildale on a warm day.
Been noticing a lot of hispanic and black women with lots of tats lately. seems to be popular to get a name across the top of your chest, or across your shoulders.
There are times when I think it would be fun to have a bunch of shockingly inappropriate tats, but only if they had a story attached, like “Oh, I had to get these for the year I spent undercover in Attica working to bust those guys….”
nick
There, fixed it for you.
You guys have beaten into my head the importance of observing things around us and finding out what’s going on.
From the social media version of information gathering we have reports of another car break in. This time, a gun was stolen.
From live information gathering while the dog was taking me for a walk, I found that a town police officer and a county sheriff’s deputy live nearby.
The gun theft happened on the same street that the police officer and the deputy live on. The street is only a few blocks long and as straight as an overcooked piece of spaghetti. I’m starting to wonder about the suburban/small town area I live in.
@dave, even if it isn’t residents (and I’ll bet money you have more lower class residents than you think) you have lots of people coming thru. Consider lawn guys, the ‘junk’ collectors that cruise for pickups, all the door knockers and paper hangers….
I’m dismayed by all the gun thefts from vehicles. It’s pretty straight forward… don’t leave anything valuable in a vehicle.
nick
In casual conversation with Lori soon after we moved to Sparta, I found that she’s extremely concerned about the state and direction of the country and is preparing for a worst-case scenario. Her big concern is that she lives on 40 acres with only her 18YO daughter (since gone away to college) and is pretty isolated, with no nearby neighbors. When she said that, I immediately told her that if the SHTF and she was uncomfortable being at home, she was welcome to come and stay with us. She made the same offer to me.
If things do get bad enough that we’d consider doubling up, where we’d do it would depend on the situation. If the power looked likely to remain on, we’d gather at our place. If not, we’d probably gather at Lori’s place, which has the huge advantage of having a year-round spring. Either way, it’d be a PITA because we’d have to haul a dozen or more truckloads of supplies and gear from one place to the other.
In the mean time, you might want to both get radios up. CB on a shared community channel, as a sort of “party line” worked well for some friends in Michigan. They all had relatively isolated cabins backed on National Forest.
Everyone had a base station up on a little used channel, and always had it on while they were home.
With ham licenses, you could both have FM simplex with an inexpensive yagi pointed at each other. Check in when arriving and leaving, etc.
Might not make sense yet, but there will be a time when you want trusted allies to know your status.
nick
In the mean time, you might want to both get radios up
You are talking SOP (Standing Operating Procedures) now. A great idea if you can get your neighbors to agree. Print a little manual, email, etc. to those who want to participate. That could save some misery, but alas, I think few would go for it. What’s wrong with us Humans.
We’re not that far apart. Maybe I’ll lend Lori one of my FRS/GMRS radios and see how that works. They’re supposed to have a range of 36 miles. 😉
If not, I may try the UV-82’s with whip antennas on GMRS or MURS frequencies.
I get about 3.6 blocks from my blister pack FRS/GMRS radios in suburban terrain.
A blister pack motorola job site radio on MURS would be a better, and still relatively cheap unlicensed solution, esp if you add a mobile magnet antenna on a cookie sheet or file cabinet, or on top of the fridge.
This is almost the perfect application for CB radio though. Even new radios and antennas aren’t that expensive and they are WIDELY available at yard and estate sales. Even the ones no collector or reseller wants, with only 23 channels would work for this.
nick
(and almost everyone who is still in the same house for 40 years has one in the garage already, which is why I think CB radio has a place post SHTF, and not just with the freeband kooks)
I have 4 1960/70 generation CBs (2 mobile and 2 mobile with base station cases that they “plug” into so they can run off 120v) with mobile and portable base antennas.
I’ve been hauling them out annually and testing.
Remember this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd5ZLJWQmss
BTW, my handle/call name was White Rabbit, a name given to me by a trucker when he saw me in a truck stop. My car at the time was a 1973 Mercury Montego GT with a limited production blueprinted BOSS 351 Cobra Jet engine (hood scoops functional) and C6 Police Interceptor automatic (to be able to afford insurance). It was white with dual antennas so I think you can figure out how the name came about.
I could see using the FRS/GMRS configs right right here in the ville but for much beyond that I’d go with the CB radios and ham gear.